Council Fights To Save Historic Kansas City Buildings On 31st & Main

A surprise move this afternoon looks to impede "progress" along the streetcar line . . . 

Remember that we talked a great deal about the impending destruction of the Jeserich building in Midtown KC as toy train developers work diligently to destroy structure that has been around since 1888 . . .

Here's a peek at the FULL BLOCK from 4th District politicos that might give preservation activists a rare win or, at least, another delay . . .

Councilmembers Bunch and Shields on Thursday applied to nominate four structures northeast of 31st and Main streets to the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, as the 31st & Main Historic District.

The overlay would encompass the historic Ward and Jeserich buildings, built in 1888 and 1905, respectively, at 3035-37 and 3041-45 Main. Also included are two connector buildings — the Union Hill Commons atrium at 3039 Main and a commercial stretch at 6-10 E. 31st St.

The nomination by Bunch and Shields inhibits the issuance of any permits — including for demolition — for six months or until a decision from the city's Historic Preservation Commission.

"The 31st & Main Historic District is a good example of a commercial district that served the surrounding neighborhoods in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century," the Thursday application reads. "It demonstrates commercial Victorian architecture and vernacular commercial architecture of the period. The district with the distinctive Jeserich building at the corner retains integrity and is eligible in the areas of Architecture and Commerce/Trade."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Kansas City Council takes unorthodox step to block demolition of historic Midtown buildings - Kansas City Business Journal

A developer wants to raze the buildings as the streetcar extension nears, but neighbors and two City Council members objected. To forestall the demolition, the elected officials nominated the properties for inclusion on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places, creating a six-month window for a potentially different outcome.